Radiohead

Kid A

(EMI/Capitol)

There’s a moment of orchestral chaos in the middle of “How to Disappear Completely,” the fourth song on Radiohead’s new album. Listening, you feel a sense of panic as the song almost loses its grip. Then, a sigh of relief as everything slips back into place.

That musical panic attack is “Kid A” in microcosm. The eagerly awaited, fourth full-length album by the critically acclaimed Oxford, England quintet feels like it’s going to slip into pretentious, ambient techno-influenced anti-rock on so many occasions, but it miraculously saves itself to form a work that is serene and haunting at the same time.

The album further indicates a major progression for Radiohead, which has come back from the one-hit wonder curse of 1993’s “Creep” by producing two modern rock masterpieces: 1995’s “The Bends” and 1997’s “OK Computer.”

Hopefully, “Kid A” will find itself elevated to a similar level in short time.

Although “Kid A” continues many of the trends used on “OK Computer” - more sampling, more synthesizers, less guitar - it’s still a surprise the latest album was produced by the same group. Even for seasoned Radiohead fans, “Kid A” will take at least a few listens to digest. One of the few signs that this is a Radiohead album is the emotional, controlled wailing of lead singer Thom Yorke - and even that is used far less on “Kid A” than on previous albums.

“Kid A” is not as cohesive as “OK Computer.” Most of the tracks on “Kid A” are on their own and don’t flow into each other. While this creates a less unified work, it also allows Radiohead to try several different styles and still maintain a subtle theme of postmillennial letdown.

From the aggressively harrowing “Optimistic” to the peaceful but lyrically depressing “Motion Picture Soundtrack,” “Kid A” sticks to a message that 2000 is nothing to be excited about. We’ve still got the same problems, and they’re not going away.

On “In Limbo,” Yorke sings, “I’m lost at sea/Don’t bother me/I’ve lost my way.” If Radiohead has, in fact, lost its way, one can only hope that the rest of contemporary music can get off the mainstream trail and lose itself, with the boys from Oxford leading the way.